What temperature range is suitable for grill smoking?
I've noticed when smoking on the grill that sometimes there is no visible smoke, though there's the clear smell of burning wood.
Once the wood has begun to smoke, what grill temperature will ensure the process continues and that the food is smoked? Is the chosen temperature just a matter of maintaining this minimum temperature and stretching or shortening cooking time and smoke exposure?
Best Answer
Don't let the tail wag the dog. When smoking, you want to figure out time and temperature first and worry about smoke second. This can obviously vary widely. That said, there are things you can do to get more smoke going:
If you can smell it, you'll get some smoke flavor. If you can see it, you'll get more. If you're not getting (much) visible smoke then you need some combination of 1) wetter wood 2) lower temperature 3) larger wood. You get less smoke when the wood just goes up in flames. Chips are particularly prone to do this. Larger chunks smolder better. Things also smolder better when they're very wet or the fire isn't so hot. But again, you want to figure out your temperature and then get smoke, not make large temp changes just to get smoke.
If you're doing very low and slow (225F), sometimes that's not enough heat to get your wood smoking well. Smaller chips or higher temperature are the only things I've found that really solve this problem.
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Quick Answer about "What temperature range is suitable for grill smoking?"
Consistent temperature is the key to smoking. The ideal temperature range for most smoking is 225°F to 250°F. A simple way to monitor temperature is to place a meat thermometer in the top vent of your grill, so the probe hangs down and measures the temperature of the air inside the grill.Can you smoke meat at 160 degrees?
In short the answer is no, you can't. We need meat to be above 140\xb0F (60\xb0C) for as much of the cooking process as is possible. While smoking is a low and slow method, it simply isn't safe to have the meat lie below that temperature (unless it's refrigerated or frozen) for several hours.What is the temperature for hot smoking?
Hot smoking temperatures are a little more clear-cut since bacteria can breed at a rapid pace if the temperature goes below 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Generally, hot smoking has to be done between 165- and 185-degrees Fahrenheit.Can you use a smoker in 40 degree weather?
Absolutely. You can smoke meat when it's cold outside. Stock up on charcoal and wood before you ever start cooking, especially in cold weather. Keep your wood chopped up and ready to go in a dry, easily accessible place like a wood rack.Is 300 to hot for smoking?
300 degrees is an acceptable temperature for smoking brisket. Setting the smoker temperature this high will reduce the cooking time significantly, especially if you opt to wrap the meat in foil about halfway through. As always, aim for an internal temperature of about 210 degrees Fahrenheit.Smoker Temperature Control - Controlling Smoker Temp Tips
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Answer 2
The usual temperature range for traditional low-and-slow BBQ is between 200F and 250F, although there's plenty of variation allowed - I've made solid BBQ at 300F. (Cold-smoking, as in for making smoked-salmon, is a wholly different animal)
With a closed grill and smoke-wood mixed in with the coals, there should be plenty of heat to smolder the wood. Note that you DO NOT need to see visible smoke to get smoke-flavor - most pro-BBQ pitmasters will allow the smoke to get to a 'blue-smoke' stage - not thick, billowing white smoke - for best flavor.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.